Assessment of The Determinant Factors for The Selection of Ballasted Track Versus Slab Track (a case of Addis Ababa Light Rail Transit)
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Date
2016-03
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AAU
Abstract
The track is a fundamental part of the railway infrastructure and it is a structure
consisting of parallel lines of rails with their sleepers, fittings and fastenings, ballast,
etc, to provide a road for the movement of locomotives. The two types of track systems
are ballasted track and slab track. Ballasted track consists of track superstructure of
rails and sleepers supported on a layer of granular material (stones) and slab track
consists of a continuous slab of concrete where rails are supported on the upper surface
of the slab. Different scholars had studied the advantages and disadvantages of these
track types in relation with different factors.
The purpose of this study is to assess and evaluate those determinant factors to select the
better affordable track type for the construction of railway line for future expansion of
AA-LRT project. The study mainly focuses on the ground/at-grade section of the track.
The data for the study were taken from document analysis that has seen under literature
review and some supportive data from observation and a few from working documents
from AA-LRT project. The data were then analyzed both quantitatively and qualitatively.
During this study the construction cost, maintenance cost, ease of adjustment and
maintainability in relation with construction and maintenance time with the need of
accuracy and precision, track environmental impact in relation with noise and dust
emission, weather conditions together with flood and dust problem, and lateral
resistance were accessed from document analysis and site observation. The results
revealed that slab track is more costly than the construction cost of ballasted track and
less maintainability although it has better stability and durability. In addition to this
from the transportation demand of the city population and addressing its facility, the
study recommended that ballasted track is more affordable than slab track at ground/atgrade
section.
Furthermore this study also recommended that undertaking different researches
regarding these two track types in relation with the county context for both the LRT case
and the national railway as well is important.
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Keywords
Track, ballasted track, slab track, cost, Adjustment and maintainability, weather condition, Environment